September 25, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
When Janice Plemmons-Jackson steps aside as the city’s Certified Municipal Financial Officer, she will sadly be leaving a lot of friends behind but taking with her 34 years of special memories.
The city’s longtime friend and consultant recently announced plans to resign and her last day on the job is this week.
“Even though I am choosing to leave, I am sad to say goodbye because I have friends here. We have worked together for lots of years. It’s been a good team,” said Janice in a recent interview with WJLE.
Although she will no longer be the city’s CMFO, Janice said she will continue her own full time CPA practice, Plemmons-Jackson & Cabaniss PLLC in Crossville where she resides and be available for some occasional consultation to the city on a limited basis if needed.
Janice began working with the city in 1989 under CPA Grady Taylor, who was at that time the city’s independent auditor.
A native of Coffee County, Janice explained how the career path she chose eventually led her to Smithville.
“I grew up in Coffee County and went to high school there where I graduated in 1973,” said Janice. “From there I went to college at Lipscomb University and graduated and then moved to Cleveland Ohio and got an accounting job with a regional firm in downtown Cleveland. I was the first female they had on their accounting staff. That was a big change for a country girl from Tennessee. I worked there for a few years and did mainly auditing. I had to do audits during the winter months and came in and did taxes on Saturdays to help out,” she continued.
“After my husband took a job back in Tennessee I left my job in Ohio and we came to a little town called Centerville. I went to work for a small country CPA firm in Hohenwald. I eventually ended up buying out that practice and ran it for a few years until I moved to Fairfield Glade in Crossville. It was there I met Grady Taylor who had his own CPA practice and needed help so I began working with him. Eventually we became partners and worked together for several years and that’s when I became involved in working with Smithville,” Janice explained.
“I had never done any governmental work before that but he (Taylor) had done several audits for different cities so I learned about governmental auditing and governmental accounting which is a little different than normal accounting. Of course, you have to take continuing education as a CPA if you are doing audits so I learned the skills through the years. Grady was their (City of Smithville’s) primary contact. He was from here (Smithville) and he had the relationships with the (mayor and aldermen) board. I didn’t attend board meetings then. For me it was more just come in and do the audit procedures, look at invoices, ask questions, just more verification type things to make sure everything was in order”.
“Grady and I later split the firm. I went on my way and he went on his way. Grady did not wish to continue doing the audit work so I was given the opportunity to work with Smithville. The board (mayor and aldermen) wanted me to take the position so I continued doing audit work for several years as auditor”, she said.
As times and accounting laws changed, so did Janice’s role with the city going from auditor to financial advisor.
“The accounting world changed. The new standards said you (independent auditors) could not do any bookkeeping or assistance for them (cities) because you couldn’t audit your own work. When the standards changed, the management (mayor and aldermen) here then decided they preferred me to be a consultant rather than auditor and I was happy to do that. It was a more comfortable role for me because I have always tried to be a helper and teach people and not just say ‘oh you have to do this’ but explain why. Of course, when you work with a client for a long time, you learn their history and you know the people and you can help advise them better,” explained Janice.
Rather than continue her association as a contracted professional service, in 2012 the City hired Janice to become a city employee as financial consultant and then contracted with Hendersonville CPA John Poole to carry on as the city’s independent auditor.
“After the state comptroller’s office created this Certified Municipal Financial Officer (CMFO) position, cities were allowed to have their own employees go through the training and undergo the tests required to become a CMFO or they could have a CPA serve as their CMFO as long as they had the governmental experience because this role is different than just working with accounting rules. The comptroller’s office basically said cities of certain sizes needed to have an employee as CMFO or CPA to attend meetings with the board (mayor and aldermen) to give financial advice,” said Janice.
As she found it in 1989, Plemmons-Jackson said the city today remains financially sound.
“I have told them (mayor and aldermen) they are probably one of the better cities from a financial position than anybody I would match them with as far as fiscal responsibility. They have spent money from time to time when they had a need (one-time expenditures) but they try not to go deep in the hole with the budget and overspend regularly. Operationally you never want to spend more than you are bringing in,” she said.
Although she has never put down roots here, Janice said Smithville feels like home and she will miss the friends she had made.
“I know Smithville better than I do my own city (Crossville). I’ll have to come back over for the Jamboree and other events and activities from time to time. I won’t lose total touch,” added Janice.
During the September 11 regular monthly meeting, Janice was presented an award from Mayor Josh Miller on behalf of himself and the Aldermen in recognition of her three plus decades of service.
In presenting the award, Mayor Miller read the message imprinted on it.
“There are not enough words to express the appreciation for your 30 plus years of dedicated service to the City of Smithville. You went far above and beyond the duties as a CMFO. Not only were you an employee, but you were also a friend to us all. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to the City of Smithville.”
“It has been a pleasure and an honor to have worked with all of you. We have spent a lot of time together through the years and I have loved that you all have worked together and have had the best ideas for what is good for the city and that has made my job easy, and I appreciate that. I couldn’t have done this with just anybody, but you have been great to work with and I thank you very much”, said Janice.
“It’s been a pleasure working with Janice for the last 16 years,” said City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson. “She has been more valuable to the city than most will ever know”.